The following is written such that the Novice PC user can understand (hopefully)(If anyone has a suggestion/correction, please send me a private message and I will modify this post)Thanks to All that have contributed on the Forum from whence this information was culled

As most router/pc configurations are setup for DHCP (the router assigns an ipaddress to your pc) it is recommended that the server pc be configured with a static ipaddress. This will ensure that whenever the server is rebooted the ipaddress will match what has been configured in the portforwarding section of the router (as explained later)

Windows VistaWindows Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Manage Network Connections (left side link) > new window will display all network devices > rt-click on the network card that will be used and select 'Status' > click the properties button > enable/disable options and configure IPv4 from here

Note: the information needed to fill in the fields can be found with the following:Start > run > cmdIpconfig /all

Install the server software. The default location is C:\PROGRAM FILES\VENTSRV (the drive letter may be different depending on your local drive configuration)This will create an entry in your Start > Programs menu called "VentSrv"

Configure the VENTRILO_SRV.INI file as needed. The only options that might need to be changed are the following:(view the VENTRILO_SRV.HTM file for more detailed information)

Name=Auth=Adminpassword=Password=VoiceCodec=VoiceFormat= (note: when setting to Speex, 3-20 is recommended)

(Note: It is recommended that the server be configured with a password to prevent all unwanted intrusions. If you plan on supporting Macintosh users then you must configure the server to use the Speex Codec (suggest using Speex 20). If any changes are made to this file the server must be restarted. )

Start the server by clicking on VENTRILO_SRV.EXEThis will start the server and display in a console window. If the screen displays “Ready:” at the bottom then it is ready for connections.

Note: You may have to configure any firewall/virus/spyware checkers to allow port 3784 (TCP and UDP) and 6100 UDP to pass thru. Consult the individual documentation.

Test the server install by connecting your local Ventrilo client to the server.(If you’re connecting the client from a different PC then configure the client to use one of the ipaddresses from the 'ipconfig' command. If you’re running the client on the same PC as the server then use 127.0.0.1 or localhost as the servername)

Also be aware that some external users may have issues connecting due to configuration problems on their end. It is suggested that you read the following thread and also direct anyone having problems to read it also. http://ventrilo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23257

Autostart as a Service – starts the server at every boot (will not display a console window). server must be configured with a static ipaddress

Delayed Autostart – allows windows to boot fully before starting Ventrilo server and also displays the vent console window. a shortcut is placed in the Startup folder

1. Manual Start – navigate to the install folder and double-click on Ventrilo_srv.exe. This will open a console window and display the status of the server. Or, navigate to Start > Programs > VentSrv > Ventrilo Server

b) Using Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\PROGRAM FILES\VENTSRVc) Right-mouse-click in the right-hand window and select “New > Text File” and name the file “ventstart.cmd”d) Right-mouse-click on the file and select “Edit”e) Type in the following:

cd \program files\ventsrvSleep 30ventrilo_srv.exe

f) Save the fileg) Right-mouse-click on the desktop and select “New > Shortcut”h) Browse to c:\program files\ventsrv and select “ventstart.cmd” then finish the processi) Drag/Drop the shortcut to Start > Programs > Startup

You can change the sleep time by editing c:\program files\ventsrv\ventstart.cmd. Sleep time is counted in seconds.

On the next page locate the “Ventrilo Server” link and click it. Follow the directions for configuring your router.

NOTE: You must also portforward 6100 UDP on the router and allow 6100 UDP thru your firewall software

It is a BEST practice to power off the router for at least 60 seconds. Verify the settings are correct after powering back on.

Note: some routers require separate entries for TCP and UDP as opposed to a setting for “Both”. Please try this configuration before contacting the Ventrilo forum. Also, make sure the routers firmware is up-to-date. Check the manufacturer’s website for updates.

The ipaddress to portforward can be found using the “Ipconfig /all” command on the server PC. The port# is 3784.

Most ISP’s will change your external ipaddress, sometimes on a weekly basis. When your ipaddress changes it will require you to notify the users that connect to your server of the new address. To prevent this you can sign-up for a Dynamic-DNS name. (ex: www.myserver.com) There are many companies that provide this service, sometimes free-of-charge. Using your favorite search engine, perform a search for “dynamic dns”. Here are a couple of examples:http://www.no-ip.com/http://www.dyndns.com/

I am running Windows 7 64 bit and tried to install Ventrilo server as a service, but it was not working.

I was logged in as an administrator and had no luck with "ventrilo_svc.exe -i"

It would say "Access Denied" or various other windows errors.

I fixed this by right-clicking on the ventrilo_srv.exe and ventrilo_svc.exe and going to the 'Compatibility' tab. I checked "Run this program as an administrator" and also "Run this program in Compatibility Mode for: Windows Vista" (which I had used Vent Server successfully on previous to Windows 7). Hit ok.

I then ran "ventrilo_svc.exe -i" from command line again to install, windows asked me if i wanted to allow the program to make changes to my computer (yes), and it worked like a charm.

I don't know whether both options I checked were required because I didn't play around with it too much, but this worked, so I'm passing it along.